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YOUR MIND CONTROLS YOUR MOUTH!
If weight loss is your goal, simple willpower is not your solution. Even though conscious thought directs our goals and ambitions, we respond to day-to-day situations on an internal “auto pilot” by drawing on files created through years of sub-conscious thought. For many, the automatic response to each stressful occurrence may be to indulge themselves with sweets. If you have ever had a bad day and find yourself standing in front of the refrigerator, taking inventory of it’s contents and deciding what to eat when you’re not even hungry, you know exactly what I mean.
 
The first step in long-term weight management is the decision to take control of your body. As simple as it sounds, the body does what the mind tells it to do. The next challenge is to recognize that changes, either in your eating habits, exercise schedule, attitude or probably all three will need to take place. Do not think you can continue to live and eat in the same manner as you have for years and expect your body to change. If your mind makes the decision that you will eat healthy food, you will and your body will respond appropriately
 
Your belief in your ability to achieve weight loss success is the key to actually losing the weight you want. If you believe you can take control, you can. If you do not think you’re really capable of losing unwanted pounds and inches, you won’t. It’s that simple. A belief is a belief until you change your mind and decide to believe something else.
 
Think positively. Set realistic goals for yourself that you know you can achieve. If you have a lot of weight to lose, set your goal for ten pounds at a time. Recognize each pound lost and every dietary adjustment you make as a personal success and only make adjustments you are willing to maintain. Temporary change only means temporary results so you may need to change the way you think. Instead of feeling deprived when you pass on a giant slice of cake, be proud of the fact that you chose not to eat it. Or, allow yourself to have a few bites without eating the whole piece.
 
Weight control, just like everything else in life, is about perspective. If you have a “can-do” attitude, nothing can stop you. But, just in case your motivation starts to dwindle, find a supportive partner that can help you stay in focus. Today we have “trainers & coaches” for just about everything – athletic coaches, business analysts, computer trainers, therapists and even weight counselors so don’t feel like you need to go-it-alone when it comes to one of the most frustrating of life’s challenges. Accept only success and success will soon follow.
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FEARLESS DINING
For many, dining out can trigger anxiety when it comes to eating healthy in restaurants. Making the right selection can be frightening and some people may even refrain from eating all day in preparation for the dinner that is planned for that night. The single most important thing you can do is not starve yourself all day in order to prepare for going out to dinner. When you are overly hungry, you will tend to eat more. If you know where you will be having dinner in the evening, just plan the rest of your meals for that day around what you think you’ll select as your dinner entrée. If pasta is a likely choice for dinner, then eliminate carbohydrates for breakfast and lunch.
 
In order for your body to work properly and utilize all the foods you eat for energy rather than fat production, your metabolism must be stimulated throughout the day. When you don’t eat, you are slowing your metabolism while increasing your hunger level. If you find yourself starving by the time freshly baked dinner rolls come around, you can be sure you will eat much more bread than you would if you were not so hungry and may over-order your meal too by including an appetizer, soup, salad or starter.
 
Since dining out should be a wonderful, stress-free experience, this is what you can do:
 
Be selective about restaurants. Only go to restaurants that offer the kind of food you prefer to eat. If you're trying someplace new, call ahead to see what kind of menu they have. Many restaurants feature their menu on their website so a few minutes on your computer may make restaurant sections that much easier. Try to avoid fast food type restaurants whenever you can. Healthy food options are very limited there.
 
Ask questions. You are the customer and should never feel as though you cannot clarify an unclear food choice. If there is something you don’t understand about any menu item or want to know how something is prepared, ask the waiter. Be sure you are fully aware of what you have ordered and that your chosen meal satisfies your personal eating guidelines. "How is the meat prepared?" "Is there a sauce?" "Can the sauce come on the side?" "What fish is fresh tonight?" "Is your salmon wild or farm raised?" (You DON'T want farm raised!)… All of these questions are important before making your selection. It is very unusual for any restaurant not to offer some type of grilled entrée like steak, chicken, or seafood. When dining 'Italian', I highly recommend having pasta as a side dish rather than an entrée. You want to be sure and have an adequate amount of protein for the day and a little pasta on the side will ensure you're not feeling deprived while it keeps your carbohydrate consumption down.
 
Make everything "worth it". When I am thinking about eating something that I know I should probably avoid, I simply ask myself if the food is “worth it”. “Worth it” foods are those that are very high in fat or calories, but taste so good! These items should not be eaten all the time. But, if you are going to eat something you know is not particularly good for you, at least be sure it is “worth it”. Bread and desserts are always good examples. Don’t eat bread just because it is sitting in front of you. If the rolls are exceptional – fresh and seasoned, then go for it. If not, pass. The same rule holds true for desserts. If you order something and it is not as wonderful as you thought it would be, stop eating it. There is no reason to feel guilty about over-indulging if the experience is not “worth it”!
 
Remove temptation. If your restaurant serves bread or crackers before the meal and they prove to be too great a temptation, remove them! If you're like me, you can make a whole meal out of the bread alone. Then you find yourself forcing down your meal. Don’t sit with something you’d love to eat, staring you in the face. There is nothing wrong with being weak-on-willpower. Just recognize that you are easily tempted and remove anything you’d prefer to avoid.
 
Keep sauces on the side. Sauces and salad dressings can double or triple the fat content of a meal. Some people only want the taste of sauces or dressings and are happy to dip-in to a side plate rather than pour the sauce all over the food. To be safe you can always ask for any high fat item like butter, sour cream, dressings and sauces to be served "on the side" so you may control how much of it you want to eat.
 
Don't overeat… just take it home. Even though Mom may have taught you to clean your plate... don't do it! Whatever you are eating at night will be just as good the next day. When you are full, stop eating and take home the leftovers.
 
'Sharing' is not a dirty word. If you are not very hungry, order a light appetizer like soup or salad for yourself and share the entrée with your spouse or dining companion. You may also want to order a separate vegetable or side dish to accompany the main course. Sharing is an especially good idea if you would like to have dessert after the meal. When you share, you get the benefit of tasting all the items you like without the urge or self-imposed obligation to finish the entire portion yourself. Bon appetite!
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KEEPING THE FAITH
During holiday times, our connection with the concept of a higher power becomes a conscious part of our awareness. It is interesting to note that many studies have been conducted to evaluate the relationship between good health and a healthy belief in God.
 
Studies reported in the August issue of Annals of Internal Medicine showed that a loss of faith leaves a person vulnerable to illness. In a variety of studies, sick patients who became pessimistic about their religious faith were associated with having a higher risk of mortality.
 
Investigators at Duke University found that people who held onto negative views about religion had an increased risk of mortality. During times of poor health, feelings of doubt and anger towards one's beliefs are natural and normal. This is especially true when you re dealing with a serious illness. So many people get stuck in a feeling of negativity. In these instances, it has been proven that the additional stress created by negative thoughts interferes with the body's ability to recover and heal.
 
At Duke Hospital, investigators questioned 596 patients over the age of 55 who had been hospitalized for various illnesses. The vast majority of the patients were of Christian faith. The researchers questioned the patients about if and how they were using religion to cope with the stress of their medical illness. The negative religious feelings some of those patients revealed included feelings of being "abandoned or punished by God" or "questioning God's love." The patients who participated were followed for up to two years.
 
The results of the two year study showed that those patients who struggled with their resultant religious beliefs were accompanied by an increased risk of mortality. Specifically, patients who said they felt "unloved by God" and "attributed their illness to the devil" were found to have a 19% to 28% increase in the risk of dying within the two year period.
 
Medical professionals are certainly not saying that religion provides the cure for the sick. But, dealing with any kind of serious illness requires a positive attitude. Depression and quality of life additionally affect our attitude which can even increase disease. Sick people need to have their spiritual issues assessed and addressed, otherwise it will have a negative effect. It is amazing to consider that an individual’s lack of faith can be associated with an increased risk of mortality.
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GOOD FATS AND BAD
Everyone is pretty much aware that low fat diets are healthier than high fat ones. But, there’s a lot more to it than that. Although much attention has been focused on the need to reduce dietary fat, the body still requires moderate amounts of it and will actually die if it was to become 100% ‘fat free’. Unfortunately, most people are unsure of the difference between “good fats” and bad ones.
 
Fat is an essential nutrient that plays several vital roles. It:
  • Regenerates skin, nails and body oils
  • Regulates the body by forming hormones
  • Insulates and pads internal organs
  • Carries fat-soluble vitamins throughout the body
  • Helps repair damaged tissue
  • Fights infections
  • Is an energy source
 
When weight loss is your goal, fatty acids provide the “good fats” the body needs to help eliminate the “bad fats”. When the body is deficient in Essential Fatty Acids, it will store unwanted fat. Fat retention is always the body’s way to balance deficiencies or imbalances too.
 
To understand how fat intake is related to health problems, it is necessary to understand the different types of fats available and the ways in which these fats act within the body. Natural fats are composed of building blocks called “fatty acids”. There are three major categories of fatty acids: saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. These classifications are based on the number of hydrogen atoms in the chemical structure of a given molecule of fatty acid.
 
SATURATED FATS are found primarily in animal products, including dairy items. Whole milk, cream and cheese in addition to meats like beef, veal, lamb, pork, and ham all contain saturated fats. Some vegetable products, including coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and vegetable shortening are also high in saturated fat.
 
Saturated fats enhance the manufacture of cholesterol by the liver. Therefore, excessive dietary intake of saturated fats can significantly raise your blood cholesterol level, especially the level of low-density lipoproteins (LDL’s) or “bad cholesterol”. Your daily intake of saturated fats should be kept below 10% of the total calorie intake daily. However, for people who have severe problems with high-blood cholesterol, even that level may be too high.
 
POLYUNSATURATED FATS are primarily found in corn, soybean, safflower and sunflower oils.  Certain fish oils are also high in polyunsaturates.  Unlike the saturated fats, polyunsaturates may actually lower total blood cholesterol levels.  In doing so, however,  large amounts of polyunsaturates also have a tendency to reduce high density lipoproteins (HDL’s) which is the “good cholesterol” your body needs. are primarily found in corn, soybean, safflower and sunflower oils. Certain fish oils are also high in polyunsaturates. Unlike the saturated fats, polyunsaturates may actually lower total blood cholesterol levels. In doing so, however, large amounts of polyunsaturates also have a tendency to reduce high density lipoproteins (HDL’s) which is the “good cholesterol” your body needs.
 
MONOUNSATURATED FATS are found mostly in vegetables and nut oils such as olives and peanuts. These fats appear to reduce blood levels of LDL’s (bad) without affecting HDL’s (good) in any way, although the positive impact upon LDL cholesterol is relatively modest.
 
Essential fatty acids are key to your health and are sometimes easier to obtain through supplementation. Unfortunately, it is hard to determine adequate levels of fatty acids when you’re trying to get them through foods, that’s why supplements provide a more secure awareness of the amount and quality of fatty acids you’re ingesting.
 
The most common source of fatty acids are fish oils. But, all supplemental products are not alike. It is critical that you select a product from a company who ensures that their oils are highly purified and are safe from contamination. Many commercial essential fatty acid products come from farm raised fish that are highly contaminated and include heavy metal and mercury content. Good oils should be refined, bleached, winterized, deodorized and subjected to molecular distillation and through a filtration process that uses natural absorbents. When in doubt, contact the company who makes your product and see if they will provide a certificate of analysis for it.
 
Taking an essential fatty acid supplement daily will:
  • Lower your triglyceride levels
  • Help reduce plaque from the walls of arteries.
  • Help to lower blood pressure
  • Reduce inflammation in the body. Especially beneficial for those suffering from conditions such as arthritis, lupus, psoriasis and other inflammation –related ailments.
  • Work with cholesterol and protein to repair old cell membranes and make new ones.
  • Help replace saturated fats with unsaturated ones
  • Help to heal wounds
  • Help body to produce hemoglobin
  • Help remove excess cholesterol from blood
  • Aid in the prevention of bacteria and viruses, by oxygenating cell membranes
  • Increase metabolic efficiency or the rate at which the body burns fat
  • Help balance sleep wake cycles
  • Shorten exercise recovery time for tired muscles
  • Nourish skin and nails
  • Help prevent hair loss
  • Nourish collagen which is the supporting tissue under the skin
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THE WISDOM OF DISCERNMENT
So much of life is about choices. We make decisions, every day, and many of those decisions we take for granted, yet some that may look meaningless or unimportant can be critical to our health and our happiness.
 
How many of your January first resolutions have you chosen to break only eight weeks into the New Year? How many times have you chosen not to go to the gym or to put off an overdue medical checkup, then wonder why you don’t feel great? Don’t assume you feel great without evaluating how you really feel. Don’t assume things are fine when they continue to be problematic. Discernment requires that you don’t accept the status quo… you ask questions, evaluate, assess, THEN make a decision and formulate a plan of action.
 
Discerning good options from bad and acting upon them is a choice only you can make. Frankly, taking the time to consider your options is a choice, too. This action not only applies to our food, clothing selection, work habits, and health options, it also applies to relationships.
 
We’ve just come off the ‘sweetheart’ of holidays, Valentine’s Day, where we may have become connected or reconnected with a love partner. Accepting others into your life is a serious commitment of emotional energy and time so we need to be discerning how we embrace potential friends, lovers and partners, too. If your relationship is in its infancy stage, observe how your new interest communicates and identify honesty and sincerity early on.
 
One of my favorite sayings is, “Your actions speak so loudly, I can hardly hear a word you say.” I don’t know who said it… but, my dear friend has used it with great regularity when editing the inappropriate actions of people and business associates I have sometimes let into my life. I am very grateful to have learned this simple evaluation… these wise words have increased my ability to view people honestly instead of from my ‘chosen perspective’. They have also made me take a good hard look at what I do vs. what I say and strive to make the two match.
 
In an effort to obtain our heart’s desires, it is easy to fall prey to people or actions that may negatively affect us. Although it is not our place to judge, only we can protect ourselves from potentially toxic individuals or situations that, upon discerning reflection, may be easily identified.
 
  • Think before you act.
  • Identify what is ‘working’ and what isn’t in your life.
  • Determine if you have ‘reasons’ vs. ‘excuses’ for what you do or don’t do.
  • Don’t make assumptions about other people’s actions. Communicate.
  • Acknowledge your good and bad behavior patterns. Change what you don’t like.
  • Recognize ‘fatal flaws’ in concepts or relationships that will ultimately create failure.
  • Take time to learn about those you invite into your life.
  • Establish trusting friendships first.
  • If a relationship is new, don’t be in a hurry to define it.
  • Never make excuses for someone else’s behavior. Identify your place on another’s priority list.
  • Acknowledge any uneasiness you feel in any situation and identify its source.
  • Think ‘change’!
 
Don’t sell yourself or your potential short.  If you become more discerning in your actions, you will become happier and more satisfied with the outcomes.  Your friendship is a gift you give to others.  Discern with whom you share it.  Your contribution to your own life as well as people’s lives around you needs to be thoughtful and not hap-hazard.  Life can be what happens while we are hoping for something else.  Recognize that we usually get what we plan for… so, plan for peace, happiness and success
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GUESS WHAT THE AVERAGE AMERICAN EATS IN A YEAR!
It isn’t unusual to wonder why weight management continues to be such a challenge. One of the biggest reasons, I’ve found, is that people really don’t know what they eat. As crazy as that may sound, the amount of food that we knowingly consume, and the amount consumed unconsciously, make up a big reason why 67% of Americans are overweight. The last “lean” study I read from the US Dept. of Nutrition which calculated the average amount of food eaten by each individual person throughout all of 2000 was astounding. This was their findings:
 
The average American ate:
 
  • 30 pounds of cheese
  • 15 pounds of full fat ice cream
  • 7 pounds of low fat ice cream
  • 10 pounds of frozen yogurt
  • 135 pounds of white & whole wheat breads, cereals, pancakes, cakes & cookies
  • 19 pounds of rice
  • 11 pounds of pasta
  • 28 pounds of corn flower, starch & grits
  • 78 pounds of added fats & oils due to food processing!
  • 35 pounds of cooking oils
  • 35 pounds of butter & margarine
  • 152 pounds of ADDED SUGAR!
  • 111 pounds of red meat
  • 83 pounds of poultry & seafood
  • 276 pounds of fruits & vegetables - up only 10% over 1970!
  • 16 gallons of whole & 2% milk - down from 28 gallons in 1970
  • 50 gallons of soda!
  • 10 gallons of bottled water
  • 27 gallons of coffee
  • 28 gallons of beer
  • 9 gallons of fruit juice
 
What a grocery bill! Fat content in the average person’s diet is so high because, as a society, we are eating more "individual serving" foods than every before. Frozen dinners, snack items, soups, pasta-in-a-cup and meals-on-the-go type items all come in convenient, "eat in your car", "eat on the run" style packaging. We grab food as we can and those kinds of foods are full of sugars, man-made trans fats and unhealthy additives.
 
The morbidity and mortality of Americans due to food is approaching that of cigarettes and we're blaming the environment instead of taking personal responsibility for what we eat. The crime is that most unhealthy medical conditions are preventable by proper lifestyle and dietary choices. Eating too much sugar, either in dessert and snack form or in the form of starchy carbohydrates can cause:
 
  • Overweight and obesity
  • Hormonal—infertility and menstrual problems
  • Diabetes
  • GI dysfunction---Leaky Gut Syndrome leading to a host of diseases such as allergy, asthma, and autoimmune diseases
  • Immune dysfunction—cancer, thyroiditis
  • Insulin Resistance---Syndrome X (high bad cholesterol, obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, etc.)
  • Bad Eicosonoids (arachidonic acid/inflammation/arthritis/blood clots, heart attacks…)
  • Glycosolation of proteins (sugar directly damages the body’s proteins and enzymes)---leading to skin wrinkling, cataracts, and premature aging
  • Blocks vitamin C absorption
  • Feeds candida—causing cravings, sharp mood and energy swings
  • Feeds cancer cells. Cancer cells can only live on sugar!
  • Increases in the production of adrenaline which leads to increased cholesterol, and all the harmful effects of chronic stress
 
Don’t assume that because an item looks healthy, it is. Or, that because it is a "coffee drink" or beverage it must be OK. People are unwittingly eating 600-calorie "health muffins", 700 calorie tuna sandwiches and 800 calorie café- Frappuccinos without thought to what they are doing to their body. If all you ate were these three items in one day, you would have consumed 2100 empty calories and still felt like you ate practically nothing. If you add dinner to the mix, you will have eaten well over 3500 calories that day, but would still wonder why you "can't lose any weight."
 
American’s are more health conscious than ever, they just don’t necessarily know what to do. Keep it simple: Eat as much protein in the form of lean meats, poultry and seafood as you can; lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; limit your dairy items to 1 meal a day and only eat 2 starchy carbohydrate servings like bread, rice or pasta daily. The more you stay away from white starches like potato or hamburger buns, the better! Don’t forget the water… you can’t flush fats without it!
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BEFORE 'TAKE-OFF' TIPS FOR HOLIDAY FLYING
Traveling always exposes us to the unhealthy effects of flying. Germs, just like the air in aircraft cabins, are recycled. Therefore, the passenger with the cold in seat 11A is infecting you seated in 37 E! Shy of wearing a surgical mask when traveling, here are a few of the simplest ways to avoid getting jet-sick and jet-lagged.
 
Since most jets provide only 40% to 60% fresh air, the recirculated, germ filled air is incredibly dry. The humidity level of cabin air is often only 20% and sometimes dips as low as zero percent! (That's drier than desert air which is usually at least 20-15% humid.) In this environment, the protective mucous layers in your nose, mouth, and throat dry out, leaving you more prone to microbian infection.;
 
What can you do? A day before departure, Dr. Glenn Rothfeld, M.D. tells us "take two 500 milligram capsules of echinacea, 1000-2000 milligrams of vitamin C and 25,000 units of beta-carotene. Be sure to do this a few hours before departure as well."
 
To take care of the lack of humidity which can cause dehydration, fatigue, dry skin, dry and itchy eyes, light headedness and headache, drink lots of water - preferably noncarbonated water. The recommendation is between 12 - 16 ounces PER HOUR! Sometimes it isn’t easy to obtain adequate amounts of bottled water from the beverage service carts on board so bring your own bottled water when you can. Be sure and avoid alcohol and caffeinated beverages also because both act as diuretics and can further agitate dehydration.
 
Sugar free throat lozenges, like Halls Citrus Blend with vitamin C are great to keep handy in your travel bag. They taste good, provide a little boost of vitamin C and help keep your throat moist so sore throat or cough doesn’t develop.
 
Since the food served on airplanes is either inedible, nutritionally unsound or non-existent, I suggest either eating before your flight or taking healthy food with you. Fruit packs pretty well and you can also bring a sandwich made from low fat protein. A lot of the concessions in the airport now offer healthy sandwiches and salads already packed for the plane so you may want to pick up something before your flight. For many, keeping the stomach full is more comforting and it also lessens the possibility of air sickness.
 
Minimize sugar and sweet treats, too. Long waits in airports often spawn snacking that we would otherwise control or avoid. Consuming too much refined sugar in the form of candy bars, frozen yogurt, cinnabons and other taste treats will actually make you more tired and have less energy later. The increase and resulting decline in blood sugar levels from these types of foods will also trigger headaches. Sugar causes the pancreas to secrete too much insulin which actually leads to low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia. Neither condition is particularly comfortable, especially when traveling.
 
All of this may seem overwhelming, but it’s not. A little planning goes a long way to insure comfort and safety. It’s no fun landing somewhere only to find your self sick and laid up for the rest of your vacation. Even though you are sure none of these possible conditions will affect you, why not be safe rather than sorry?
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THINK “NET CARBS”
With a zillion diets out that get everybody ready for swimsuit season, (which for us is all year ‘round), it is hard to know just how many carbohydrates are OK to eat every day. Like so many nutrients, all carbohydrates are not created equal. It is true that starchy carbohydrates have more negative impact on the body than complex carbs, but a healthy diet doesn’t mean you should try and eat ‘carb-free’.
 
Eating a high STARCHY carbohydrate, low protein, low fat diet will result in excess fat storage. You will find you are craving more starches or sweets with great regularity. You will have low energy, mood swings and constant hunger while your metabolism slows and does not burn fat efficiently. As a healthy alternative, using protein for energy allows your body to keep your insulin levels low which burns more fat. Fat provides more than twice the energy than carbohydrates. One way to determine if you are eating too many carbohydrates is to evaluate if you are able to go four hours without eating. If not, chances are that your starchy carbohydrate intake is too high.
 
That being said, you can increase your daily carbohydrate consumption IF you select carbs that have a high fiber content. Since fiber is so important for proper maintenance of the body through its cleansing properties, you can actually deduct the fiber content contained in a carbohydrate food to get the ‘net carb’ impact of that item. For example, if you eat a whole wheat English muffin that contains 44 grams of carbohydrate and 7 grams of fiber, the net carb result of that English muffin would be 37 net carbohydrates.
 
People sometimes get confused about vegetables and even avoid eating them because many are high in complex carbohydrates. Don’t be confused! Vegetables are an important addition to meals, are high in fiber and should be eaten regularly. A whole bunch of broccoli (approximately 8 cups!) contains 40 grams of carbohydrate and 16 grams of fiber which makes the net carb result only 24. Obviously, a person would get VERY full eating 8 cups of broccoli so you can see how you can maximize the carbohydrates you eat if you make smart choices.
 
Almonds and nuts are another item that can make a terrific snack with a low net carbohydrate impact. 1 ounce of almonds has 5 grams of carbohydrate and 3 grams of fiber making a net carb result of only 2 grams. Plus, you get essential fatty acids in almonds along with 6 grams of protein making almonds a great food item.
 
As a nutritional rule of thumb, minimize white starches. That does not mean you cannot enjoy these kinds of food altogether. It simply means you should eat healthier versions of the same thing. Try whole grain breads like wheat or rye instead of white bread… eat a sweet potato instead of a white potato… try spinach pasta instead of enriched flour pasta… select whole grain or wild rice instead of white rice. It will not take long for you to retrain your taste buds to prefer foods that are better for you. Most of the “alternative” suggestions I have made have much more flavor than their white counterpart. Spices also make a big difference. Season your foods well and you will enjoy them more. The act of eating isn’t generally about what goes into your stomach as much as it is about how that food tastes. Be creative. You can make anything taste good if you simply set your mind to it.
 
The ‘ideal’ for most people is to limit carbohydrate intake to approximately 70 NET grams per day, so read the labels on the products you buy. Most fruits & vegetables are usually pretty high in fiber so you need not worry about the carb impact of those foods. I don’t want you to count calories or weigh portions, but I do want you to become aware of the smarter food choices available. Even items like yogurt can be very high in carbohydrates so know what you’re buying. I know of one brand that contains more than 40 carbs in a single serving along with more sugar than a soda! Once identified, that would be a product to avoid.
 
You don’t need to be afraid of carbs, you simply need to be smart about the ones you select. Learn as much about the foods you eat as possible so you can ‘fearlessly dine’ in the future. If you want more information about ‘net carbs’, there is a wonderful website to check out: www.carb-counter.org . They provide the net carb affects of most commercial foods.
 
You are what you eat! Take control of your food and your body will respond nicely.
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PREPPING FOR WEIGHT LOSS
Millions of people claim they are trying to lose weight, but have been unsuccessful. Simply lowering calories or eating less is not the answer. Starving yourself is actually counter-productive because is slows the metabolism and stops the fat burning process.
 
The best way to begin any weight loss program is to prepare your body first. It is amazing the amount of body-balancing one can do in 7 days if they make the commitment to follow simple cleanse-&-prep rules. This procedure is not only great to jump start your weight loss process, it will also help your body rid itself of toxins and even promote the elimination of candida.
 
Prep Week is designed to stabilize your body’s insulin levels which helps curb sugar and carbohydrate cravings. During Prep Week you will need to minimize starches like bread, rice, crackers, potato and pasta. Protein-rich foods like seafood, chicken, turkey, beef, pork, eggs and soy are all unlimited during this period, so you can see that you will have no need to ever feel hungry.
 
During this 7-day week, in addition to unlimited protein, you can have 2 three-ounce servings of hard cheese, low fat cottage cheese or plain yogurt every day. If you are going to eat yogurt, it must be plain rather than fruit flavored. If you want the taste of fruit, you can add fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries or blackberries to the mix. Do not eat any other fruit during this 7-day prep. Remember, we are trying to lower your insulin (which is your body’s sugar) levels to increase fat burn and minimize fat manufacture and storage.
 
Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli, lettuce, asparagus, green peppers, cucumbers, celery and green onion are all unlimited daily. For the 7-day prep week, stay away from any vegetable that is not green. Squash, sweet or baked potato, corn and similar vegetables should be avoided for prep week only. Again, minimize fruit and limit it to only ½ cup of the berries already mentioned, which can be eaten twice a day. Coffee, tea and LOTS of water need to be consumed every day – a minimum of 64 ounces of water needs to be drunk daily.
 
For this 7-day period I want you to avoid drinking any soda or juice, even if it is diet soda. The reason for this is simple; diet soda, even if it doesn’t contain sugar, contains sugar substitutes that are even sweeter than sugar and trigger sugar cravings. Soda also contains toxic chemicals that cannot be part of a body-cleansing process.
 
I don’t recommend juice for many reasons and that includes after prep week too. First and foremost, juice provides a concentrated quantity of sugar all at one time with little food or fiber value. When you consider that it takes approximately 6 oranges to make one small glass of orange juice, you can see how much fuller and satisfied you would be eating six oranges! Plus, you would be getting all the pulp and fiber benefit from the fresh fruit that is lacking in the juice. Eating the whole fruit will also fill you up and satisfy any hunger you may have.
 
Because this week is an insulin-lowering, cleansing week, I want you to minimize carbohydrates like bread, rice, pasta, cereal, etc and limit them to only 20 grams per day. My recommended carb intake after a cleansing week is 70 grams per day. But, since these starchy foods greatly affect insulin levels, it is important to minimize them during prep-week time.
 
White starches, as you have heard me say so many times before, should be avoided at all cost forever. They have little food value and create both fat storage and insulin challenges. White bread can be replaced with whole gains, white rice for wild or brown rice and white potato replaced by a sweet potato. Many of these ‘white’ foods are eaten out of habit. You can retrain your tastebuds to prefer healthier food fare if you are willing to make the effort.
 
Good health and nutrition, like most things in life, are a choice. If you want to successfully lose weight, logic dictates that you will have to make some changes in your eating patterns or lifestyle along the way. Your current behaviors have put you in the state you’re in. Temporarily changing behaviors will only glean temporary results. When you have a better understanding of your body and respond to its needs responsibly and appropriately, your health and improved physical appearance will be your reward.
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WATER WORKS WONDERS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

Incredible as it may seem, water is quite possibly the single most important ingredient for maintaining a healthy body. Water flushes fat and toxins from your body, suppresses your appetite naturally and helps your body metabolize stored fat - which means water helps flush fat away too. Studies have shown that a decrease in water intake will cause fat deposits to increase, while an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits and assist in weight loss.
 
When the weather is as hot as it has been here in S. Florida, its not as difficult to drink water. But, if you're boating and enjoying the sunshine with a cocktail in hand, be sure and have water close by. Alcohol can be very dehydrating and your body needs even more water when temperatures rise.
 
Water is the best treatment for fluid retention.  When your body gets less water, it perceives this as a threat to survival and begins to hold onto every available drop it can store.  Water is stored in extra-cellular spaces outside the cells which appears to you and me as swollen feet, legs and hands.  Diuretics offer a temporary solution at best.  They force out stored water along with some essential nutrients.  Again, your body perceives a health threat when you don’t drink enough water and will replace the lost water at its first opportunity so the ‘swollen foot’ condition will quickly return.
 
Water helps to maintain proper muscle tone by giving muscles their natural ability to contract while  preventing dehydration.  It also helps to prevent sagging skin that usually follows weight loss.  While water is flushing out fats, it is also flushing out toxins… the same toxins that can carry disease or cause acne and other skin outbreaks.   Shrinking cells are buoyed by water, which plumps the skin and leaves it clear, healthy and resilient.
 
Water helps rid your body of waste.  If you're trying to lose weight and are currently dieting, your body has a lot more waste to dispose.  All metabolized fat that has been broken down and is ready to be eliminated must be eliminated from your body through urination.  Water will also help relieve constipation.  When you do not drink enough water, your body will look to other sources like the colon for hydration.  When the colon becomes too dry, you will become constipated and have difficulty going to the bathroom.  You can best identify the likelihood of your being dehydrated if you are experiencing thirst, itchy dry skin, fatigue or have headaches. 
A few basic true facts about water:
  • Your body will not function properly without enough water.
  • Your body cannot eliminate unwanted, metabolized fat without enough water.
  • Retained water in your body is evident through swollen feet and excess weight.
  • To eliminate excess water you must drink MORE water!
  • Drinking water is essential to weight loss…it is the only way to flush fat from your body.
 
How much water is enough?  On the average, you should drink six to eight, 8-ounce glasses every day.  That is about two quarts.  Seriously overweight or obese people need one additional glass for every 25 pounds of excess weight.  Some doctors feel that half your body weight should be consumed in ounces of water daily.  In other words, if you weigh 170 lbs.,  you should drink 85 ounces of water every day.  The total amount of water  should also be increased if you are exercising or spending a lot of time outdoors where the weather is hot and dry.
 
Cold water is absorbed into the system more quickly than warm water, but it should not be ice-cold. If you do not like water’s flavor, add a squeeze of lemon or lime to your drink. You can also drink your water through a straw or sports bottle. That will actually enable you to consume two to three times more water than you would drinking it from a glass.
 
Drink spring water rather than tap water whenever possible. The chlorine contained in city drinking water that is used for water purification creates free radicals and can be toxic. Bottled water is much safer and healthier for you to drink, so…DRINK UP!
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WILL DRINKING COFFEE HELP WEIGHT LOSS?
With the increase of coffee popularity, many people think that drinking coffee will actually help them lose weight. It is true that caffeine does have some stimulating benefits, but it can also increase a person's sweet tooth.
 
Like so many ingredients found in the common foods we eat, there are a lot of misconceptions about caffeine. Caffeine comes in many forms. It occurs naturally in the leaves, seeds or fruit of many different plants including cocoa beans, tea, coffee, cola and guarana. Guarana is most common form of caffeine predominately found in herbal supplements geared for weight loss and increased energy.
 
Recent reports have disproved many of the assumptions about caffeine being effective for weight loss because caffeine has been shown to raise blood sugar levels creating a condition called "insulin resistance" which actually makes weight loss more difficult. This condition is also believed to increase the risk of both heart disease and type II diabetes. In addition, experts contend that caffeine also makes you hungry which would offset the small metabolic raise that it creates. These facts are especially true if your source of caffeine is coffee or soda.
 
The most effective means to consume caffeine is not by drinking coffee as most people assume. Coffee beverages, sodas and even certain teas contain high levels of caffeine, but they also contain a number of other compounds which may interfere with the positive effects people are looking for. If a 'caffeine jolt' is what you are looking for, it is much more effective when taken as an herbal supplement like guarana.
 
It is not fully understood why an increase in coffee consumption has also shown an increase in high fat and sugar consumption too. Some experts feel that the wonderful assortment of sugary options found in most of the nation's popular coffee establishments have promoted the increased sugar intake. Others feel that coffee actually stimulates the body's desire for sugar.
 
The average lean person will only see about a 150 calorie burn if they are taking 100 milligram dose of caffeine. Studies have also shown that a larger doses will not create a better fat burn either. An overweight person or someone who has recently lost a large amount of weight will only see about an 80 calorie burn for the first 100 milligrams of caffeine consumed. In this instance, more is not better… it's just "more".
 
It is true that caffeine has been shown to increase energy and performance levels while exercising. If short, intense workouts are your thing, the proper form of caffeine can increase fat calorie burn as much as 30%. But, if you are eating a high carbohydrate diet, which many body builders do to increase their muscle formation, the caffeine's effects for fat burn will be canceled out.
 
Bottom line? If weight loss is your desire, proper food and water consumption coupled with regular exercise is your best bet. If it is increased energy you seek, the best form of caffeine for this purpose is not though drinking coffee, but by taking an herbal supplement.
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ALL BREAD IS NOT CREATED EQUAL

No matter how many diets come and go, the fact is… bread is here to stay. Most people love bread. Some love it so much, they would rather have bread than the rest of their meal. If you’re smart, and eat breads & grains responsibly, there is no need to try and eliminate them from your diet.
 
Food manufacturers have correctly recognized that the consumer is getting smarter and is on a quest for healthy food options. This is especially true of bread buyers and accounts for the reason that there has been a surge of 'whole grain' and 'whole wheat' interest in the bread isle of your local grocery store. Recognizing that carbohydrates need to be minimized, make the carbs you do eat, really count.
 
Unfortunately, in order to be a smart consumer, you must also be somewhat of a detective. The sad truth is that the whole grain or whole wheat bread you may be buying is nothing more than brown colored white bread in brown wrappers, so label awareness is critical. White bread comes from bleached wheat flour, then "enriched" with extra vitamins and minerals added to replace the lost nutrients that result from the bleaching process. Unfortunately, lost fiber, which is the most important element of a starchy carbohydrate, cannot be replaced.
 
Highly refined breads like Wonder or other white breads are nutritional nightmares, but are the 'breads of choice' for bread makers because the lack of nutrients in these products also extends the bread's shelf life thus making it more profitable. But, eating these breads won't extend YOUR shelf life! In fact, refined foods are processed by the body more quickly and will cause a spike in your blood sugar level which will give you a quick burst of energy which is then followed by a crash that will leave you tired and hungry.
 
Don't be fooled by fancy, health-sounding terms like "stone ground", "cracked wheat" or "multi-grain" either. Check the fiber content on the label and see if the first ingredient is "bleached enriched flour". If there is only about one gram of fiber or less in your selection, and the largest ingredient is bleached flour, buy another product. As healthy as that selection may look, it's not.
 
Most bread is made from wheat flour regardless of whether it is white or brown in color. But, the good breads incorporate all three layers of the wheat or grain kernel which consist of the fiber-rich bran outer layer, the endosperm middle layer and the wheat germ layer which is the nutrient-dense embryo of the grain. You want to buy breads that list whole grains like "whole wheat" or "whole rye" as the first ingredient. Whole grains provide the fiber and healthy nutritional content you are looking for.
 
Serving size is another consideration when you're comparing labels too. It is not unusual for a bread company to show two or three slices of bread as a serving in order to increase the fiber or nutritional content of their products. When that is the case, you are now eating two or three times the fat, sugar, salt or other bread content than you think you're eating. Be sure your comparisons are equal - slice for slice. Carbohydrate content is not a problem when it is rich in fiber. When it isn't, it turns your body into a fat manufacturing machine!
 
If your kids don't want to eat anything but white bread, take them shopping and make a nutritional classroom out of your supermarket. Have your child hold a loaf of white bread and a loaf of whole grain bread in each hand. They will quickly identify the white bread as "air bread" because it is so much lighter in weight. Dr. William Sears, a California pediatrician who wrote the "Family Nutrition Book" suggests calling whole grain "muscle bread". It will help your child put a positive value on eating healthier and become more aware of the benefits of selecting smart foods. Who wants to eat 'air bread' when 'muscle bread' is available???
 
When you include your family in your grocery shopping selection process, not only do they become smarter consumers, they become more particular about what they eat personally and what you stock at home. This practice will also trickle down to their food selections at school or at times when you are not around to direct their choices. Make your children aware now and you have a much better chance that they will not have weight and health issues later in life.
 
Bon appetite!
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OVERCOMING BAD HABITS

Is there any habit you have that you’d like to break? What’s stopping you?
 
It’s amazing how many people avoid the attempt to break habits they know are bad for them because “they simply don’t have the willpower to do it.” Frankly, there is NO habit that can be broken through willpower alone. Breaking a habit is about creating a new attitude and retraining your automatic response system to perform new and better behaviors. This process takes mental preparation and a conscious development of replacement actions. Nobody can stop doing something they have done for a long time without finding some other action or activity to take its place.
 
For the most part, we operate on automatic responses. Going through most of our daily routine doesn’t take much conscious thinking… we just do it. We don’t mentally consider how to apply toothpaste to the toothbrush each morning or even give a lot of thought to navigating our way to work. We do it so often, the behaviors are automatic. Changing them, however, does require conscious thought and the desire to do something other than the norm. If you want to go a different route to work to avoid the donut shop, for example, THAT requires conscious thought!
 
The first step to overcoming any habit or addiction is to make the decision that YOU want to do it. The fact that your friends, family members, children or spouse would like you to make a change is not enough. You can’t change anything that you don’t want to change yourself.
 
Second, you need to see the benefits of making a change, be more desirous of new behaviors and not focus on what you are giving up. Anyone who associates fond memories with bad habits will only stop the habit for a short period of time, if at all. Eventually, without a change of perception, they will go back to a behavior that they have reinforced in their minds as being a pleasant one.
 
I have a friend who is going to try to stop smoking…. again. She made the decision to stop smoking and gave herself a two week countdown. In anticipation of her last cigarette, she frequently goes through the mental exercise of how hard it’s going to be to stop, how much she enjoys a cigarette after a meal, how long she’s been smoking… and is dreading the final day when she will attempt to ‘willpower’ her way through the, already determined to be painful, ordeal. When I told her she would have to stop associating positive feelings with smoking if she really wanted to overcome her addiction, she informed me that her way works for her. After all, she’s quit smoking lots of times.
 
Quit lots of times? No. You only quit once. You may stop your bad habit numerous times… but you only quit once.
 
The mind plays such a big part when it comes to overcoming bad habits. Sometimes it is best to contemplate why the undesirable behavior or activity has been important to you. What comfort does the behavior play in your life? Some alcoholics say drinking dulls their pain; drug addicts report that it is an escape of some sort; food addicts oftentimes use food to comfort them when they are unhappy; smokers use cigarettes to calm down or feel more confident.
 
No matter what the association or combination of associations you have with your bad habit, getting to the root of the emotional attachment that perpetuates it will go a long way toward stopping the undesired behavior.
 
If you really want to stop your bad habit, make a list of all the reasons why. Focus on the detrimental effects this habit has on you. What has it cost you financially to support it? What has it cost you emotionally? What has it cost you in daily productivity? What has it cost you in self-esteem? Does it make you ashamed? Does it embarrass you? Would you want everyone you know to know you do it? These are all questions that need answers and, when you’re tempted to think good thoughts about your bad habit, take out your list that shows the REAL impact of your behavior.
 
Lastly, find a replacement behavior for the behavior you want to change. When my clients want to stop their incessant snacking, we come up with a variety of options to replace grazing in the refrigerator or pantry. They can call a friend, go for a walk, read a book, work on a cross word puzzle… anything but stand in front of the refrigerator. When you successfully alter a habitual practice for twenty-plus days, you are well on your way to overcoming it. The mental tie to that habit has been overcome… now you need to overcome the emotional tie.
 
Breaking bad habits isn’t easy, but it is well worth the effort. Having the desire to make a change is a great first step. Creating and planning the steps of altered behavior are key to actually making the change a permanent part of your new and healthier reality.
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